This week, we finally got to see that Apple Music will be one of those things to celebrate or curse. The streaming giant exclusively premiere two big videos: Drake’s manic pop culture-crammed clip for “Energy” and our Song of the Summer winner Best Coast’s new video for “Feeling Okay.”
In non-exclusive visuals, we also had new stuff from Future, Wavves, and Skrillex featuring Dennis Rodman. (If you didn’t catch that last one, it’s as great as it sounds.) But, of course, that is only a sampling of the new music that dropped this week. Here’s what you may have missed.
Ducktails — “Surreal Exposure”
The latest clip from Ducktails forthcoming fifth album, St. Catherine, has singer/songwriter Matt Mondanile in a runaway romance with Mac DeMarco. Why Mac DeMarco? No one knows. He gets around, apparently. But still, who wouldn’t want to enjoy a tryst in a seaside town, even if it’s with a kinda unwashed Canadian folk rocker? Paddle boats are always fun.
Delorean — “Crystal”
Spanish indie poppers Delorean are back after two years with their latest single “Crystal.” It’s actually the first we’ve heard from the group since their were kidnapped, held hostage, and released in Mexico City in 2013. Soldiering on, the band’s latest video is a visual treat set in living museum with shifting sculptures and neon landscapes. It feels great to have these guys back.
Albert Hammond, Jr. — “Born Slippy”
When you give your song the title of another already popular single, the rule is that it has to be at least as good. While we’re not sure if Albert Hammond, Jr.‘s “Born Slippy” is as iconic as the similarly-named ’90s dance hit, it’s still a great track in its own right from the Strokes’ guitarist. Now, paired with a video of hyperspeed, disorienting images, maybe the two are more alike than we previously thought. All that’s missing is a baby crawling on the ceiling.
Briana Marela — “Surrender”
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While this track may have been a little slept on, Briana Marela‘s “Surrender” is definitely worth catching up on. Co-produced by members of Sigur Ros, the visual for the song also possesses that ethereal, vapory feel. Hidden away in darkness while slightly illuminated by splashes of color, Briana’s croons echo in the void. It’s an arresting watch for a captivating song.
Destroyer — “Girl in a Sling”
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For Destroyer’s first new music back since 2011’s Kaputt, it seems Dan Bejar is moving away from the smooth indie pop and sexy sax to go for something a bit more rustic. “Girl in a Sling” is a measured and almost heartbreaking video with Dan as a narrator to a woman trying to remember what happened to her past in a small town. While it’s hard to move away from the groove he was on before, this is definitely a story worth hearing more of.
Surfer Blood — “Hey Ya” (Cover)
Lastly, to lighten things up a bit, we’ve got indie rockers Surfer Blood covering the immortal Outkast hit “Hey Ya.” The track is a part of the Amazon Acoustics compilation, only available for purchase and streaming on, as you might guess, Amazon. Beach House and members of The Walkmen will also be featured. While it’s really impossible to touch the original, “Hey Ya” is one of those songs that’s impossible to sing along to in any incarnation. It helps that this one’s pretty good.
